Clace Beauty and the Beast
by infinitygalaxies.infinitystars
Summary: Beauty and the Beast with the Mortal Instruments characters! Character list: Jace Beast, Clary Belle, Simon Maurice (as friend, not father), Isabelle Wardrobe, Maryse Mrs Potts, Max Chip, Alec Cogsworth, Magnus Lumiere, Sebastian Gaston. Other character included. I own nothing. HAITUS
1. Prologue

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single, black rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast, and placed a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic sword as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?


	2. Chapter 1

Clarissa, known as Clare around the town, skipped out of her house, calling back to her best friend, Simon. "Just going..."

"Along to the art store again, I know!" Simon called from inside somewhere. Simon was an inventor. Sure, some of his inventions didn't work, but that was to be expected, right? Clare laughed under her breath at Simon's response. Holding her basket in one hand and stepping out into French world outside her head.

Cocking her head and looking around at the empty streets, she began to sing softly. "_Little town, it's a quiet village. Every day, like the one before. Little town, full of little people. Waking up to say..._" At that exact moment, the whole town came to life. Villagers came popping out of everywhere. Houses, shops, even small play-holes in the ground.

"_Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour!"_ About five different people greeted Clare.

Clare smiled and greeted them back and curtsied, before resuming her singing. "_There goes the baker with his tray, like always. The same old bread and rolls to sell. Every morning just the same. Since the morning that we came, to this poor provincial town._"

"Good morning, Clare!" The baker greeted, a little hastily. Looking at the baker, Clare smiled and changed her course to talk to him.

"Morning, _monsieur_." She answered, sweetly.

"Where are you off to?" He asked like he already knew the answer, which he probably did. Clare rarely went anywhere else.

"The art store! I just finished the most wonderful painting. It tells the story of..."

"That's nice..." The baker ignored her. "Marie, the baguettes! Hurry up!" With a shrug of her shoulder and a half-smile, Clare went on her way, ignoring the stares and whispers surrounding her.

"_Look there she goes, that girl is strange no question. Dazed and distracted, can't you tell? Never part of any crowd, 'cos her head's up on some cloud. No denying she's a funny girl, that Clare!_"

Clare noticed the bandwagon going around the town in the direction she was going. She saw no need to continue walking and jumped right onto it, listening to the small conversations around her.

"_Bonjour!_"

"_Good day!_"

"_How is your family?_"

"_Bonjour!_" A pretty woman greeted a merchant. Clare leaned forward slightly. She knew where this was going.

"_Good day!_" The merchant flirted.

"_How is your wife?_" The woman asked, with a smug kind of tone, as the merchant turned and was hit by the afore-mentioned wife.

"_I need six eggs!_" A woman demanded.

"_That's too expensive!_" A man refused.

"_There must be more than this provincial life!_" Clare was exasperated. What sort of life was this? She finally got to the art store. She entered, hearing the familiar ring of the bell above the door.

"Ah, Clare!" The store-keeper, Luke, greeted.

"Good morning. I came for some new supplies."

Luke laughed, putting some pastels away. "Have you finished your paints already? You only bought new ones three days ago!"

"Oh, I couldn't stop painting. There's so much inspiration around the woods! Have you got anything new? New paints, or books, or materials, or..."

He laughed, again. "Not since the last time you entered this store, which was..." He pretended to think. "Oh, yes, yesterday." He smiled, showing that he didn't mind her constant appearance in his store.

Clare smiled back at him. Climbing the ladder, she said, "That's alright. Can I buy... this?" She pulled out an old-looking, black leather-cased, spiral-bound artbook with golden inscriptions.

Luke smiled and said, "Have it for free."

Clare started to protest. "But, sir!"

"I insist!"

"Well, thank you. Thank you very much!" She left the art store, completely oblivious to the three men who were staring after her.

"_Look there she goes, that girl is so peculiar! I wonder if she's feeling well! With a dreamy far off look and her nose stuck in a book! What a puzzle to the rest is Clare!_"

Clare found her favourite spot to sit and sketch: the fountain in the very centre of town. She saw many sketch-worthy scenes from her spot. The place were she sat was often over-looked as it was under the shade of a low-hanging tree. Clare looked around, before spotting the Penhallows. Mr and Mrs Penhallow hadn't spotted each other yet, but when they did, she would always sketch them as their reaction was different each time.

"_Oh, isn't this amazing?! It's my favourite part because, you'll see! Here's where I see a scene, But that won't be until it's each other that they see!_"

A woman inside the hat shop and her assistant started gossiping. "_Now it's no wonder that her name means 'beauty', her looks have got no parallel! But behind that fair façade, I'm afraid she's rather odd. Very different from the rest of us... she's nothing like the rest of us..._"

Suddenly, the entire town, except Clare (who was engrossed in her drawing), started singing. "_Yes, different from the rest of us is Clare!_"

A shot was heard, but still Clare didn't look up. It was probably Sebastian Verlac. Him and his idiotic friend, Raphael Santiago.

"Wow, Sebastian!" Raphael complimented. "You didn't miss a shot! You're the best hunter in the whole world!"

"I know!" Sebastian said, arrogantly.

"Huh." Raphael stood silent for a split second before continuing to kiss up to Sebastian. "No beast alive stands a chance against you... and no girl for that matter!" He finished, bitterly. Raphael was constantly overlooked by the girls of the town, who were all too busy fawning over Sebastian to notice him.

"It's true, Raphael, and I've got my sights set on that one!" He pointed his rifle at Clare. Raphael scoffed.

"The inventor's friend?" Raphael was so confused. Didn't Sebastian hear the rumours about that girl?

"She's the one! The lucky girl I'm going to marry!" Sebastian looked like he was the cat who was chasing after cream, cream that the whole town knew was off (and probably off by a few years). Raphael snorted softly at his own joke.

"But, she's..." Raphael started to say.

"The hottest girl in town." Sebastian said, his eyes catching a reflective pan.

"I know..." Raphael started again.

Sebastian grabbed Raphael by the collar and drew him close. "And that makes her the best. And don't I deserve the best?" He snarled at the smaller man.

"Well, of course you do," Raphael trembled slightly in fear and Sebastian dropped him, "but, I mean..." He tried to explain.

"_Right from the moment that I met her, saw her; I said she's sexy and I fell. Here in town there's only she_," Clare walked by the two men and Sebastian started to stare into the reflective pan, admiring his own face, "_who is as ravishing as me, so I'm making plans to date and marry Clare._" Sebastian seemed to finally realise that he had missed Clare in passing and ran past people to try and find her.

Meanwhile, he had run past the three blonde bimbos of the town: Kaelie, Aline and Seelie. The three girls were desparately in love with Sebastian and were always trying their hardest to get noticed by him, but to no avail. "_Look there he goes, isn't he dreamy? Monsieur Verlac, oh he's so cute! Be still, my heart! I'm hardly breathing! He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute._" Hearing the girls' compliments, Sebastian ran with more confidence. They were right, he thought, what girl could resist him? He looked around, finding it so difficult to catch up to Clare, although she was walking quite easily through the crowds of people. He tried to make his way through the thrum of people, begging people to let him through.

"_There must be more that this provincial life!_" Clare sang.

"_Well, maybe so..._" The townsfolk agreed hesitantly. They weren't as idealistic as Clare and Simon.

"_Just watch I'm going to make Clare my wife!_" Sebastian announced. The three blondies burst into tears. Sebastian looked around, irriated, as the townsfolk surrounded him, cutting off his view of Clare.

"_Look there she goes, a girl who's strange but special. A most peculiar mademoiselle!_" Clare was aware that she was approaching some girls' skipping game, but instead of walking around, she skipped in and out of the rope, ruffling the girl's hair as she continued walking._ "It's a pity and a sin, she doesn't quite fit in! But she really is a funny girl; a beauty but a funny girl! She really is a funny girl! That Clare!_"

Clare looked up, sure she heard something behind her, but just as she turned, everyone went about their daily life like normal. Clare put it down to her imagination. She turned back and was greeted with an unpleasant and unwelcome sight. Sebastian Verlac.


	3. Chapter 2

"Hello, Clare." Sebastian said, trying to sound sexy.

"Bonjour, Sebastian." Clare tried her hardest to keep the sigh out of her voice, really she did, but she wasn't sure it was working. Almost immediately, Sebastian grabbed the book from Clare's hands. "Sebastian, may I have my book, please?"

"What are you doing with this? It has nothing in it!" Sebastian sounded so confused and lost that Clare was working hard not to burst out laughing right then and there. She didn't think it was a good idea, especially considering Sebastian still had his rifle on him.

"Well, some people use their imagination and put pictures down on the blank pages and make them come alive with colour and shading..." Clare was getting worked up and excited. But then she remembered who she was talking to and came off her cloud carriage and back to real life. The smile which was working its way onto her face faded immediately and her expression reset to one of neutral blankness.

"Clare, it's about time you got your head out of the clouds," he tossed the art book into a mud puddle and Clare had to suppress the sudden urge to rip his head off and feed it to his own pet animals, "and paid attention to more important things..." Like what, Clare wanted to ask, like him? "... Like me!" Clare sighed to herself. Of course, was her only thought. "The whole town's talking about it." Clare's eyes darted around. She noticed the blondies, who were unashamedly staring straight at them, sigh. Carefully, she bent down and picked up her art book and wiped off the mud with her apron front, before placing it carefully in her basket. "It's not right for a woman to imagine things and put them down on paper... soon she starts getting ideas... and thinking." He said the last part like it was the worst thing he could possibly imagine.

Clare felt a sudden shot of anger course through her. How dare he, she thought, tell her what she could and could not do just because they lived in a sexist world where women did as men commanded? Couldn't she be her own leader?, she thought, angrily.

However, she attempted to reply calmly, and thankfully, her attempt worked. "Sebastian, you are positively primeval." She meant that in the worst possible way. To her, Sebastian was as intellectually advanced as a rock. Actually, she took that back. She would probably still be able to hold interesting conversations with a rock, no matter how one-sided. And the rock would be an amazing listener and rant receiver. She suddenly considered asking Simon to make a machine that could turn people into rocks. Her first victim would, of course, be Sebastian. Her mouth twitched upwards, but it (thankfully) did not show.

Sebastian, not understanding her insult, placed both of his hands triumphantly on Clare's shoulders and she had another urge, but this time, it was to face-palm. Did this idiot even have a brain, she wondered. "Why, thank you, Clare. Hey, whaddya say you and me take a walk over to the tavern and have a look at my hunting trophies?"

Clare was overcome with urges. She wanted to slap him, correct his misuse of the word 'me' instead of 'I' and wanted to rip his head off all at the same time. Offhandedly, she wondered whether that was possible. "Maybe some other time." Her voice was still a bit distant, but close enough to home for the rest of them to hear.

The blondes gasped as if what Clare had said was the most scandalous piece of news in the world. "What's wrong with her? She's crazy! He's gorgeous!" The three said in turn.

"Please, Sebastian. I can't. I have to get home and help my friend, Simon."

Raphael laughed loudly. "That crazy old loon? He needs all the help he can get!" Both Sebastian and Raphael started laughing at that.

"Don't you talk about my friend that way!" Clare cried. She detested when people hated on Simon for no reason other than he was not the same as everyone else.

"Yeah, don't talk about her friend that way!" Sebastian punched Raphael in the jaw and Raphael fell down before rising again, rubbing his jaw.

"Simon's not crazy!" Clare cried, anger seeping into her voice and tears lacing the edges of her eyes. Oh, how she hated it when she started crying because she was so angry. "He's a genius!" Suddenly, an explosion was heard behind the three villagers. Sebastian and Raphael started snorting and laughing again. Clare's fist curled and she forced herself not to punch either one of them. She turned quickly and ran home, both to help Simon and to stop herself from punching those two douche-bags. She ran inside and jumped down the stairs into the basement.


	4. Chapter 3

There sat Simon, staring at the debris and broken bits of television screen around him. Yet another one of his video games had failed.

"Simon?" She decided to make herself known.

"Oh, Clare-Bear. You're back." Only Simon called her 'Clare-Bear'. It was quite possibly one of the only nicknames she liked. 'Clare' didn't sit well with her. She just couldn't be bothered to go around town and tell people that she hated the name 'Clare' and always had. Simon looked at her, searching her face. "What's wrong, Clare-Bear?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing's wrong." Clare turned away, knowing Simon would see straight through her lie. "We might just need to call the carpenter to fix a door and a wall." She held up her bleeding knuckles.

"Who was it this time?" Simon sighed. Clare and he had received many forms of bullying since they'd moved together to this town from Paris. It seemed so strange to the villagers to have two people of opposite genders living together and not being romantically involved with each other. Simon did love Clare, but he wasn't _in_ love with her. Same with Clare. She loved Simon, but wasn't _in_ love with him. They were just very good friends. It also didn't help that neither one of them fit the town's description of 'normal'. They both sometimes wished to be back in Paris, where they weren't judged for being different.

Clare sighed. "Sebastian and Raphael. Again." She shook her head. "This time, though, it got personal. He took my art book and threw it in the mud. Then, he had the nerve to decide that he had the right to tell me what I should and shouldn't do!"

Simon sucked in a breath. Clare was an independant girl. She wanted to follow her own rules, not the rules made up by some sexist government and king who barely ever showed his face anyway (let alone the prince who had mysteriously vanished). Simon waited, anxiously, to hear what Clare did. Simon knew of his friend's short and fiery temper, which matched her fiery red hair. Angel knows what she did, Simon thought. When it was clear that she wasn't going to tell him without him asking, he piped up. "For Angel's sake, woman, what did you do?"

Clare smiled at him, angelically. "Nothing. I did absolutely nothing. Now, let's get ready for our picnic." Simon's mouth was gaping open as his eyes followed his best friend, who had turned and was busying herself away in the kitchen.

"Crazy Clare." He muttered.

"I heard that!" Clare called after him.

"I know!" He called back, over his shoulder. He smirked, feeling her death glare on his back. He didn't turn. If he turned, she would have total control, because JESUS was that look terrifying.


	5. Chapter 4

Sebastian and Raphael sat on the branches of a tree, a comfortable distance away from Clare and Simon's house. Both were watching the house eagerly.

"Heh!" Raphael snorted. "Clare's gonna get the surprise of her life, huh, Sebastian?"

"Yep." Sebastian said, proudly. "This is her lucky day!" Sebastian let go of the branch he was holding. It swung down hard and fast into Raphael's face, causing him to tumble out of the tree, while Sebastian jumped down, making the whole ground shake. "Stop fooling around, Raphael!"

"Yes, Sebastian. Sorry." Raphael hurriedly got to his feet.

Sebastian turned to everyone he had invited along, including the minister, the baker and the blondies. As well, of course, as all the handsome men in the village. He needed them to know that Clare was going to be his and would, therefore, be off-limits. "I'd like to thank you all for coming to my wedding." He began, catching sight of the three blondes who were in rivers of tears. He inwardly sighed. No more flirting. But, he thought, I would have the hottest girl here as arm candy. "But, first, I'd better go in there and, you know, propose to the girl!" He laughed, heartily. "Now, Raphael, when Clare and I come out that door..."

"Oh, I know, I know!" He turned and started conducting the band to play 'Here Comes the Bride'.

Sebastian face-palmed, took a baritone and slammed it down on Raphael's head. "Not now, you idiot!"

"Sorry!" Raphael apologised. Sebastian sighed before walking up to the door.


	6. Chapter 5

Clare was now done packing up the food she had made for Simon's and her picnic. She had therefore curled up on their sofa and started to sketch. She sketched Simon, turned the page and she sketched herself. She sketched an evil-looking Sebastian and was about to start on his side-kick when she heard a harsh knock at the door. Sighing, she got up from her comfortable position on the sofa, stretched lazily and walked over to the door. She looked through the peep-hole, only to spy Sebastian admiring himself through the glass. Groaning, she started debating on whether or not to pretend to be ill or away and not open the door. Sebastian pounded at the door. Sighing, she cracked the door open, slightly.

"Sebastian," Clare said, through the crack, "What a... pleasant surprise."

Sebastian barged through the door. Clare sighed behind him, hurriedly putting away her new sketchpad, leaving her very old one out. There were already mud stains on that one.

"Isn't it though?" Sebastian said. Clare already wanted to punch him. He was so full of himself. "I'm just full of surprises. You know, Clare, there's not a girl in town who wouldn't love to be in your shoes. This is the day..." Sebastian caught sight of himself in a low-hung mirror and licked his teeth clean. Clare recoiled instinctively. "This is the day your dreams come true."

Clare gave a small, forced laugh and put her hands on her hips. "What do you know about my dreams, Sebastian?" She challenged. She hated the way he assumed things about her, but she knew where this was going, didn't like it, and already had a plan to change the ending.

"Plenty." Sebastian boasted (to whom, Clare wasn't sure, but she sure as hell wasn't impressed). "Here, picture this." He plopped himself down in a chair and propped his mud-covered feet up on Clare's book. She tried her hardest to breath slowly and not to take the knife from her pocket and stab him to death. He started to kick his muddy boots off and wiggled his toes through his hole-covered socks. "A rustic hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting on the fire, and my little wife, massaging my feet, while the little ones play with the dogs." Clare was absolutely disgusted, and was sure that her face was showing it. Simon was always telling her that her face was an open book. Sebastian shoved his face up close to Clare's. "We'll have six or seven."

"Dogs?" Clare asked, pretending to be naïve and innocent. Really, she knew what he was talking about, and certainly didn't like it. Eurgh! It made her want to throw up.

"No, Clare!" Sebastian looked astonished, like the thought of having few kids and many dogs was an idea that had never occurred to him before. "Strapping boys, like me!"

"Imagine that." Clare repeated, turning away, trying to calm herself down. If this was his way of proposing, he was certainly getting a 'no'. She picked up her art book and placed it on the shelf. She thought she saw Simon's socks on the top of the stairs, but she was sure Simon said he would be taking a shower right before Sebastian nearly broke down their door.

"And do you know who that wife will be?"

"Let me think." Clare replied, monotonously and sarcastically.

"You, Clare!" Sebastian cornered Clare.

Clare nimbly ducked under Sebastian's arms, for once thanking her short stature. "Sebastian, I'm speechless. I really don't know what to say..."

Sebastian started moving everything out of his way until he cornered her against her front door. Clare smiled. She had him exactly where she wanted him. "Say you'll marry me."

Clare reached behind her for the doorknob. "I'm very sorry, Sebastian, but I just don't deserve you." She quickly opened the door outward. She again ducked out under Sebastian's arms and watched as he fell forward into a huge puddle of mud.

Raphael immediately orchestrated the band to play 'Here Comes the Bride'. Clare's door opened inwards and Sebastian's boots were thrown out. Excited, Raphael turned, only to see Sebastian with his legs in the air, body-deep in mud. He stopped the band and Sebastian's red face popped up, with Clare's pig on his head. Sebastian shook his head violently, and the pig fell off into the mud.

"So?" Raphael asked, trying not to laugh at his friend's misfortune. "How did it go?"

Angrily, Sebastian grabbed Raphael by the neck, close to choking him and spat out, "I'll have Clare for my wife, make no mistake about that!" He dropped Raphael into the mud and got out, stomping.

Raphael turned to the pig and said, "Touchy!"


	7. Chapter 6

Clare leaned against the door, head in her hands, muttering on about how she had lost faith in humanity, when she heard roaring laughter. She looked up to find Simon doubled over, face red with laughter. So he had been there and heard the entire thing! She picked up the nearest thing to her, which happened to be a heavy paper-weight. "Shut up. Don't. Say. A. Word. Or I'll throw." Simon's eyes widened and he immediately stopped laughing. Clare had excellent aim when she wasn't happy.

"Let's go on our picnic." Simon suggested, still eyeing the paper-weight in her hands. Clare put it down, smiled and nodded.


	8. Chapter 7

"So?" Simon began, his mouth twitching with suppressed laughter. "When's the wedding going to be, Madame Verlac?" He stressed 'Madame Verlac'. Clare glared at him.

"Never, for as long as I live." Clare said, firmly. Then, she pretended to be a soft, ditzy blonde like Kaelie or Aline. "_Madame Verlac, can't you just see it? Madame Verlac, his little wife. No sir, not me. I guarantee it. I want much more than this provincial life..._" Clary sang, running around Simon with her arms wide open, as if ready for flying. Simon grinned, happy to see his best friend in such high spirits. Suddenly, she stopped, grabbed Simon's hands and ran around in circles with him standing still in the centre, still grinning like crazy. "_I want adventure in the great wide somewhere._" She let go of Simon's hands, freely twirling around. She stopped, suddenly, and her voice took on a sad tone."_I want it more than I can tell, and for once it might be grand, to have someone understand, I want so much more than they've got planned..._" She stared out at the landscape before her. She was standing on the edge of a cliff, not daring to go any further, yet yearning to be running down along the fields that were lying there before her.

Simon came up behind her and placed his right hand on her left shoulder. "You know I'll never leave, right? I'll be the someone who can understand."

Clare smiled and turned. "I know. And I won't leave, even when you've got a girl of your own. She'll have to be able to put up with me, you know. Maybe we should hold weekend long auditions and whoever can survive a weekend with the both of us, is eligible to marry you."

"Really? You won't leave?"

Clare frowned. "Not unless I absolutely have to." Simon frowned as well. He knew what she meant. When she was married, she had to do what her husband told her, no matter what. After a few minutes of an uncomfortable silence, Clare began to talk. "Okay, let's move away from the depressing topics and continue with our walk. I need more inspiration for my pictures." She opened her basket, showing not only food, but also her favourite art supplies and a few of her most precious things, including all of her paints, her sketchbooks and her mp3 player. She wasn't sure why she'd decided to take them with her to go on a walk through the woods, but she felt, deep down, that something different was going to happen today.


	9. Chapter 8

They walked up the woods and came to a fork they'd never encountered before. "Huh. How strange." Simon said, adjusting his glasses nervously. "We've been through these woods millions of times, but we've never come across this fork before." They both looked left and right. The left path looked unruly, with thorn-bushes and thistles and dark, twisted trees. The right path looked much more joyful. Its trees were a lovely deep green, almost the same colour as Clare's deep, emerald eyes, and there were only meadows of flowers to be seen.

Clary then took off traipsing down the left path. She'd only gotten a few steps, when Simon pulled her back. "Hold on a minute, Little Miss Artiste." Simon dragged the 'o' sound in 'hold'. "What's wrong with you? Why can't we go through the path that doesn't scream 'everything down here wants to eat your soul and sacrifice your body to Satan'?"

"Because, my darling Simon," Clare dragged the 'ah' sound in 'darling', "I don't particularly want to walk through a path that screams 'this is where the Care Bears come to throw up rainbows, shit hearts, piss love and sweat happiness. It's too... eurgh there. I like this path." She pointed down the left path. "It has atmosphere, mood and is so... mysterious. Please, Simon? If you want, you can go through Care-Bear-Land. I won't mind. But, I'm going through here."

"And nothing I say is going to stop you." Simon sighed. Clare shrugged an apology. "Fine. Alright, then. Let's get going. But, I warn you. One sign of danger and I'm out."

"Okay, Simon. I wouldn't have it any other way. Just promise me one thing." Simon turned to look at Clare, curiously. "Don't go to those idiots if something happens. You know what they'll do. They'll start to tease you for 'being crazy' again and you know how much I hate that." Clare put quotation marks around 'being crazy' for she knew that her friend was completely sane and that it was the rest of the townsfolk who needed their sanity checked out.

Simon smiled and nodded his agreement.


	10. Chapter 9

Eventually, they found themselves in front of a castle. It was covered in ivy and the way to the door was blocked with years' worth of thistles and brambles. Simon stepped forward, not realising it when he crossed an invisible boundary line.

"Clare, I think I'm gonna head back now. I'm not liking the feeling I'm getting from this place." Simon said, anxiously.

"Too late." A voice boomed from behind them. "You've already trespassed on my property, and I tend to throw trespassers in the dungeons without food or water." A monstrous hand reached out for Simon.

"Wait!" Clare cried out. The hand stopped moving. It completely froze. As if it had never heard a girl's voice before. "Take me instead of him. It's my fault we trespassed on your property, sir. We came across it quite by accident." Clare tried to be as polite as possible. After all, only someone very important could afford to own a castle.

"Fine." The gruff voice finally said. "Come with me. Follow my footsteps. Your friend will find himself at home now." He snapped his fingers loudly and Simon disappeared.

"You mean, Simon just apparated inside our home?" Clare was amazed.

"Your home? You live together?" The voice was curious, but also a bit sad.

"Only as house-mates. We're not romantically involved with each other, if that's what you mean. Angel, that would be weird. Simon's my best friend." Clare said.

The entity before her opened the large castle doors. "You may explore the castle, but you are not allowed to enter the West Wing at all. Is that understood?" Clare nodded.

"Excuse me?" Clare called out, timidly. The entity, who had turned away from her, turned slightly to face her. "Please may I know your name?"

"You haven't introduced yourself."

Clare straightened her back. "My full name is Clarissa Adele Fray, but if you call me that, I don't care who or what you are, I will still murder you. People call me Clare, but I hate the name. I suppose you can call me something. Anything you like. Except Clare-Bear. That one's taken by Simon." She smiled. Simon had thought up the name while they were watching the Care Bears when they were very small. He thought it fit because she cared so much about everyone that she was practically a human Care Bear.

The entity thought for a while. "How about Clary? Or Rissa?"

Clare thought about the two names. She debated before reaching a decision. "I like Clary better. It's more artsy. More me." Then, she turned timid again. "And, you? What's your name?"

"I was born Jonathon Christopher." He didn't give a surname. Clary (she thought it was a nice name and decided to refer to herself as Clary for evermore) was pretty sure she saw a cheeky glint in Jonathon Christopher's eyes. "But if you call me that, I will murder you." Clary cracked a smile at the way he partially stole her line. "You can come up with a nickname... if you so choose." He waited, a little impatiently, as Clary deliberated, playing around with his name.

"What about Jace?" She said, eventually.

"Jace?" He asked, astonished. "How did you mould my name into that?"

"Easy. Jay from Jonathon and the Cee from Christopher, but you don't pronounce the 'ee' part of the Cee, otherwise it sounds more like an endearment rather than a name." Jace stared at her. She shrugged. "I'm an artist. Creativity is my strong point."

Jace continued staring at her. "Come into the light, Clary."

Clary noticed a small sliver of light on the ground, just enough for him to see her whole body if she stepped into it. Shrugging, she did so. She heard Jace suck in a breath. "It's alright. I know I'm not much to look at. I mean, its mostly the fault of my freckles and my stupid carrot-coloured hair, and..."

"You're beautiful..." Jace whispered.

"Yeah, and... wait, what?" Clary swore she just heard Jace say she was beautiful. Her eyebrows scrunched together and she looked down at herself. She had a short stature (she hadn't grown since she was 13 and she was 20 now), bright fiery red hair (with a temper to match), green eyes (the only part of her appearance that she actually liked), freckles that mostly were sprinkled around her face (but were in fact everywhere) and the splotches of paint on her arms, fingers and apron.

"Nothing." He turned away again.

"Wait, Jace!" Once more, he stopped and turned. This time, he had something that resembled a smile on his face, but Clary wasn't sure. "You said I could explore the castle?"

"Yes..." He sounded hesitant.

"Well, why can't I go to the West Wing?"

"It's my wing. That's my living area. Nobody but me has been in there for years."

"Oh. Okay." Jace turned to leave. "Wait, Jace, I'm not done! One more thing."

"Angel, Clary, what is it this time?"

"It's your turn. Step into the light." She demanded, curiously. She heard a quiet growl, before silence and she saw a beast come forward. "Oh!" Her hands flew up to her mouth. Her hands dropped down and she came forward. Jace stood still, not daring to move. Clary circled him, then looked up at his face. "You know, I've seen worse. You, my dear monsieur, would be amazing to paint." Jace stared at her. _How was she not terrified of him?_, he wondered. With that, Clare swished away, looking around her in amazement. Shaking his mane, Jace disappeared.

Suddenly, he heard his friend Magnus (who was magicked into a candelebra) whisper, "Master, dinner! Invite her to dinner!"

Jace turned. "Clary?" He called out.

He heard running footsteps before finally seeing Clary appear out of the shadows. "Yes, Jace?"

He smiled slightly before growling out, "You will join me for dinner. That is an order!"

Clary nodded. "Uh, Jace?" He looked at her. "Uh…" She hesitated and looked around shyly. "Where… where do I stay? I'm guessing not in the hallway." She grinned, weakly.

Jace looked to Magnus and Alec (who was magicked into a small grandfather clock, complete with a pendalum). They mouthed 'Isabelle'. "Follow me." He said, gruffly. He led her through endless hallways until they reached a light pink door. "This is your room. Dinner is soon. A bell will be rung." With that and a swish of his cape, he disappeared into the shadows.

Clary ran inside her new room and flung herself sloppily onto the bed, feeling empty.


End file.
